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Press Release: The Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School Returns

2nd December 2021

After two years of having to postpone the Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, the Centre is delighted to announce that we shall be holding our seventh Summer School.

This will take place at Merton College, Oxford on August 7-10, 2022. The topic will be Animals and Public Policy: Embodying, Implementing, and Institutionalising Animal Ethics.

We are witnessing a change in attitudes to animals – from the idea that they are tools, machines, commodities, here for our use, to the idea that they are sentient beings who have intrinsic value, dignity, and rights. This Summer School will be concerned with how that change of attitude should be embodied, implemented and institutionalised in public policy, including legislation, education, business, arts, sciences, literature, and religion.

We invite public policy advisers and academics, educationalists, ethicists, historians, lawyers, criminologists, philosophers, theologians, psychologists, social scientists, and others from around the globe to participate and present. All selected papers will be considered for publication in book form or in the Journal of Animal Ethics.

We have over sixty confirmed speakers. Those interested in joining the waiting list for presenting should email the Director of the Summer School, Clair Linzey: depdirector@oxfordanimalethics.com. 

Registration for the Summer School is now open. The booking form is available here.

The Summer School terms and conditions are available here.

Notes for Editors:

  • The Summer School is being held at Merton College, University of Oxford (https://www.merton.ox.ac.uk/conferences-merton). Merton is one of the oldest colleges of the University and is situated in the heart of historic Oxford. It comprises inspiring architecture, beautiful gardens together with stunning views over Christ Church meadow. Merton alumni include J. R. Tolkien and T. S. Elliot.
  • The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics (www.oxfordanimalethics.com) is an independent centre pioneering ethical perspectives on animals through academic research, teaching, and publication. The Centre comprises more than 100 academic Fellows who aim to help people think differently about animals.
  • The video of the last Summer School on Humane Education is available here.